A. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to bottle holders and especially to wine bottle storage and display. In particular, this invention concerns a wine rack for supporting a plurality of bottles lying on their sides while at the same time allowing support for a plurality of bottles in a xe2x80x9ccork upxe2x80x9d or display position.
B. Description of the Prior Art
The proper storage of bottled wines, spirits and beers is important since these beverages can represent a sizeable investment especially when large purchases are involved. Therefore they should be treated with care and due regard for their perishable qualities. The generally accepted manner for storing wines in order to keep the wine xe2x80x9chealthyxe2x80x9d is to place the bottle in a bin so that it rests on its side and the cork stays moist. This prevents the cork from drying out and allowing air to enter the bottle. Similarly, other beverages such as sparkling wine need to be stored on their side. A dried out cork allows gas to escape resulting in a xe2x80x9cflatxe2x80x9d wine. Ideally, a storage device should be located in a well ventilated, cool, dark place having a fairly constant temperature of about 55 to 65xc2x0 F.
The storage and display unit should be designed so as to avoid unnecessary movement or vibration of the bottles which can disturb the sediment therein.
In the prior art, wine racks conventionally provide a bottle cradling surface for supporting the bottle in a horizontal or xe2x80x9ccork downxe2x80x9d position. Many of these racks are erected in a honeycomb framework or with various rows where a bottle is cradled in its horizontal situation. There are many variations in the design of these bins or racks 11 (FIG. 2) which can accommodate different designs and storage capacities.
In a commercial setting, however, it is often desired to display the label of the wine so as to allow a potential purchaser to view the label without unnecessary handling and shifting of bottles stored in a rack. Again, any unnecessary movement of the bottles over a period of time can cause agitation of the sediment at the bottom of the wine bottle and can affect the aging and flavor of many wines and beverages. It would be desirable to display and cellar the wine simultaneously.
The improved wine rack and display shelf of this invention overcomes many of the problems found in the prior art while combining both a wine rack and display mechanism for use in a variety of circumstances, primarily in commercial display environments. This combination of cellaring and display is unique in the art. The bottles are supported on their sides and can be easily slid out of the rack without disturbance of adjacent bottles. At the same time, some bottles are displayed in a xe2x80x9ccork upxe2x80x9d or vertical position so that a consumer of the wine can easily view the label or can allow the wine to xe2x80x9cbreathexe2x80x9d with the cork removed, without removing the wine from a display container or from the environment which is, as described above, uniquely maintained to allow aging and preservation of the wine.
The present invention maintains a plurality of bottles in the horizontal or xe2x80x9ccork downxe2x80x9d position while also having the ability to display bottles, and their labels, in a xe2x80x9ccork upxe2x80x9d position so that the wine from the group can be selected without unnecessarily removing many bottles to find the vintage or type of wine desired.
Basically, the wine rack of the present system is incorporated into a wine cooler which maintains the environment immediately adjacent the bottles of wine in a desired range of temperature, humidity, and the like. Within this cooler is a plurality of cantilevered rods which extend away from the rear wall of the cooler. A shelf standard is attached to the rear wall. A back plate is attached to the standard to support the rods. The rods are spaced so as to receive one bottle for every two rods when that bottle is placed in the horizontal or xe2x80x9ccork downxe2x80x9d position. Likewise, below a number of rods is a shelf which is cantilevered again from the back plate and rear wall and extends beyond the rods such that bottles of wine can be positioned in a vertical or xe2x80x9ccork upxe2x80x9d position so as to display their labels, or to allow the wine to breathe once the cork has been removed.
The introduction of this dual purpose cooler, to cellar and display, is especially suited for those commercial environments where concerns surround not only the storage of the wine, but the display of the bottles for potential customers.
Specifically, it is an object of this invention to provide a wine rack and display shelf which allows wine to be both stored in an appropriate environment while being simultaneously displayed if desired in a xe2x80x9ccork upxe2x80x9d position, so as to function.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide a cooler which incorporates both xe2x80x9ccork upxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9ccork downxe2x80x9d display and storage in order to maximize purchasing availability and label display of various wines and bottled beverages.
Still another object of this invention is to provide a wine rack and display shelf wherein the wine bottles are adequately supported in all positions.
Another object of this invention is to provide a wine rack and support shelf having bottle storage which can accommodate a wide range of bottle shapes and sizes.
Still another object of this invention is to provide a wine rack and display shelf which allow access to bottles while reducing disturbances for other bottles within the cooler or display.
The above and other objectives, features, and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiment when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings.